Stencil-plate



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. NYE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

STENCIL-PLATE.

Specification forming-part of Letters Patent No. 41,856, dated March 8, 1864.

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN C. NYE, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and improved stencil-plate, or method of arranging and securing the separate letter-plates for stencilin g 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference. being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan of a stencil-plate or set of plates arranged in my improved manner; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical seetion'thereof in a plane indicated by the line x a, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section thereof in a plate indica-ted by the line y y, Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5, separate views of single-letter plates formed in my improved manner.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures'.

I employ a skeleton frame, A, in which the single letter and character plates are to be arranged, so as to compose the compound plate for the desired stencil. This frame is an 'outline plate or border around a middle space,

over which the letter-plates are arranged. On each side of the frame is a groove or tubular way, a, or its equivalent, into which a corresponding wire or otherwise enlarged edge, b, of each end of the separate letter-'plates B B, respectively tits and slides, substantially as indicated in the drawings, the grooves or ways a a having inner openings or slots, through which the bodies ofthe letter-plates freely pass. These letter-plates are free to enter at one end of the frame grooves or ways a a, in the proper succession, to make up the name or words required, and are slid in till the foremost one abnts against the closed end f of the frame, and each successive plate abuts againstits immediate predecessor. The enlarged edges or ends b b of the plates f1tting into the grooves or ways a a ofthe frame, not onlyhold the plates securely in place, but their letters, iigures, or characters, being properly formed and situated in them, this arrangement furnishes a sure and exact guide to arrange the letters regularly without any care whatever.

In addition to the separate letter-plates, abutting one against another, (which, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, is true only at the ends of the plates or those portions covered by the frame A,) the forward edge, h, of each plate in that part which comes over the central space of the frame, is turned up slightly, and projects so as to lap over and t upon the contigous edge i, Figs. 4 and 5, of the preceding plate, substantially as shown in the drawings. The result of this is not only to cause one plate to hold another closely down to the surface below, and thereby to keep the plates more iirmly and immovably connected, but, what is of much importance, it obviates the possibility of any interstices between the plates through which the ink might work and blot the surface or article to be marked.

The plates once inserted are held in theframe by a follower or fasteningplate, C, of similar construction to the letter-plates, and, besides, is furnished with a cam or button, c, turning on a central pin, p, so that it lnay be turned and wedged against the inner edges, dd, of the frame A and hold the plate O firmly in place.

Any` equivalent means may be employed for securing the'letter-plates in the frame; but

-this is simple and efficient.

Any non-essential modifications of the parts may be adopted, as desired.

The. convenience, accuracy, and facility of using this improvement are apparent.

I do not claim a holding, outline clampingframe for individual letter-plates, nor do I claim making the edge of one letterplate'over lap the contiguous edge of the next plate but What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the holding-frame A, havinggrooved or hollow ways a a therein, with the wired or otherwise enlarged and stiffened guide edges b b of the letter-plates B B, in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of the enlarged abutting edges of the letter-plates with the intermediate overlapping edges, h/h, thereof, for the purpose herein set forth.

The` above specification of my improved stencil-plate signed by me this 9th day of September, 1863.

JOHN C. NYE.

. Witnesses:

H. S. CLARK, SAML. KEMPER. 

